This invention relates to a wire cover for a connector for guiding a plurality of electric wires connected to the connector in a predetermined direction to collect these wires together.
Typical of such wire cover for a connector is described in Japanese Utility Modes Laid Open No. 160471/1987, which will be described below with reference to FIG. 1.
A male connector 10 has a housing body 11 where a plurality of female terminals 12 are secured. Each of the female terminals 12 faces to the front portion of an opening 13. An electric wire 14 is connected to the rear end of each female terminal 12. The electric wire 14 is wired through the tailing portion of the opening 13.
A pillar-like supporting member 15 is projected backward from the center of the housing body 11 of the male connector 10. A bolt hole 15a for a clamping bolt is penetrated through the pillar-like supporting member 15. A clamping bolt 1 is threaded into this bolt hole 15a from the rear end thereof. In addition, a predetermined number of engaging projections 16 and 17 are projected from the outer surface of the housing body 11. The engaging projections 16 and 17 are apart from each other to mount a wire cover 30 which will be described below.
A female connector 20 has a housing body 21 where a plurality of male terminals 22 are secured. Each of the male terminals 22 faces to the front portion of an opening 23.
A supporting member 24 is secured to the center of the housing body 21 of the male connector 20. A screw 24a of a predetermined depth is provided from the rear surface of the supporting member 24.
The wire cover 30 is formed like a tub with the openings at both ends. In other words, the wire cover 30 has no lateral side walls. In addition, the longitudinal sides of the wire cover 30 (the upper and lower portion in FIG. 1) are provided with engaging holes 33 and 34. The engaging holes 33 and 34 engage with the engaging projections 16 and 17 of the male connector 10, respectively. An operating hole 35 is opened through the bottom surface of the cover 30. The operating hole 35 receives the pillar-like supporting member 15 of the male connector 10.
In order to assemble the male and female connectors 10 and 20 with the wire cover 30, the housing body 11 of the male connector 10 is first abutted to the housing body 21 of the female connector 20. The clamping bolt 1 is inserted into the bolt hole 15a of the pillar-like supporting member 15 projected from the male connector 10. The clamping bolt 1 is then threadedly mounted on the screw 24a of the female connector 24. As a result, the male terminal 22 engages with the female terminal 12. In this manner, the housing body 11 of the male connector 10 engages with and secured to the housing body 21 of the female connector 20.
Subsequently, the pillar-like supporting member 15 of the male connector 10 is inserted into the operating hole 35 of the wire cover 30. The cover 30 is mounted on the connector by means of engaging the engaging holes 33 and 34 thereof with the engaging projections 16 and 17 of the male connector 10, respectively.
A plurality of electric wires 14 extending from the male connector, however, may lie on the side of the pillar-like supporting member 15 when these electric wires 14 should be wired to the opening at the one end of the cover 30. In this state, the application of the cover 30 may results in the wires pinched between the pillar-like supporting member 15 and the operating hole 35. Thus, the above mentioned structure is disadvantageous in that it may cause a damage of the wires.